What is the Orkney Domestic Abuse Forum?

The Orkney Domestic Abuse Forum (incorporating the Violence Against Women partnership), known as DAF, is a partnership organisation that works to reduce and prevent incidents of domestic abuse in Orkney.

Through effective co-operation between private, public and third sector organisations, it strives to ensure the provision of high quality, appropriate services to those experiencing, affected y or at risk of suffering domestic abuse.

DAF seeks to cover all issues relating to domestic abuse that is defined in the following way:

"Domestic abuse (as gender-based abuse) can be perpetrated by partners or ex-partners and can include physical abuse (assault and physical attack involving a range of behaviour), sexual abuse (acts which degrade and humiliate women and are perpetrated against their will, including rape) and mental and emotional abuse (such as threats, verbal abuse, racial abuse, withholding money and other types of controlling behaviour such as isolation from family or friends.)"

DAF recognises that domestic abuse affects women, men, the elderly, children, ethnic minority groups and people with a disability. It also recognises that men can be victims and women can be perpetrators, that abuse occurs in same sex relationships and that a family member can be violent towards another family member, but that the majority is male against female.